Blizzard socks Midwest with 20 inches of snow

by Patrick Condon - Dec. 12, 2010 12:00 AMAssociated Press

MINNEAPOLIS - A powerful snowstorm socked the upper Midwest on Saturday with as much as 20 inches of snow, forcing authorities to close roads across five states as heavy winds made for treacherous driving conditions.

The snowstorm was expected to be followed by dangerous cold. North Dakota experienced wind chills of 20 degrees below zero, and the arctic air was expected to drop temperatures below zero by tonight throughout the Dakotas and in parts of Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Eastern Minnesota's Oakdale area got 20 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. The storm was moving east, where it dumped about a foot of snow in Chippewa County in northwestern Wisconsin and was expected to drop 20 to 24 inches by this morning in the Eau Claire area.

The Minnesota State Patrol said 76 crashes were reported statewide, but none with fatalities or serious injuries; there were 319 reports of vehicles sliding off roads.

"The areas that were hardest hit are virtually impassable," Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Eric Roeske said. "So, we don't expect those numbers to go up a whole lot."

With snow and winds combining to make visibility difficult for drivers, Minnesota transportation officials closed the westbound portion of Interstate 90 near the South Dakota line, pulled plows off roads in the southern part of the state and told drivers to stay home.

The Twin Cities east-metro area received 15 to 20 inches of snow and was expected to see an additional 1 to 3 inches before the storm tapered off there.

Heavy snow was falling in northern Iowa, where up to 10 inches was expected, and in eastern South Dakota, where 5 to 8 inches was forecast. Portions of Interstates 29 and 76 were closed in Iowa and South Dakota because of blowing snow and related crashes.

The weather also complicated travel plans for the New York Giants, who were trying to get to Minnesota for their football game today against the Vikings. With the Twin Cities airport closed, the Giants' charter flight was forced to land in Kansas City, Mo., where the team was expected to spend the night, a spokesman said.

The weather was an unexpected burden for one Minnesota man, who had pledged to camp out on the roof of a coffee shop to help his daughter's school raise money. Hospital executive Robert Stevens donned four layers of long underwear, heavy boots and a down coat before embarking on his quest Friday night.

He vowed not to come down until he had raised $100,000, but after reaching the halfway mark Saturday morning, he said that he hoped the rest of the money would come fast.